This year, The Arc will begin an exciting new national partnership with Comcast Corporation that will support and expand digital technology opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Through a three-year commitment, Comcast and NBCUniversal will provide The Arc with $3.7 million in cash and in-kind support, including airtime, to promote The Arc’s public service announcements on cable and broadcast channels and xfinity.com.

The Comcast Foundation is also providing $400,000 to support The Arc’s national digital training program and to improve technology access and services by launching up to 12 Comcast and NBCUniversal Digital Literacy Learning Labs in major metropolitan cities. The 700 local chapters of The Arc nationwide will participate in designing and contributing resources to the online resource center. To read more about this exciting partnership visit The Arc’s blog.

Make your plans to attend the 2014 Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C. April 7-9 and take advantage of special early registration until March 7. This event is your best opportunity to cultivate new champions on Capitol Hill and advance the grassroots movement for people with I/DD. This unique platform offers you the opportunity to come together with other advocates, learn about the issues, and speak with your elected officials about what is important to you. Get the best rates and availability for the event now at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Washington, D.C. and find out more about this year’s program at www.disabilitypolicyseminar.org.

Hosted by: The Arc, Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP)

Promotional Support Provided by: Sibling Leadership Network

This year, The Arc began national expansion of the Wings for Autism™ program with events at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Jacksonville International Airport. Wings for Autism™, one of The Arc’s newest national initiatives, is an airport “rehearsal” specially designed for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, their families and aviation professionals. The program provides families with the opportunity to practice entering the airport, obtain boarding passes, go through security, and board a plane.

Sylvia Furstenberg, Executive Director of The Arc of King County, shared her experience in a blog post that highlights reactions from a number of families who participated. To learn about upcoming Wings for Autism™ events near you, visit The Arc’s website.

March is national Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and The Arc invites you to join us on March 29 in a national grassroots initiative to help raise awareness about people with I/DD. What should you do? Simply make plans to go out somewhere in public on Saturday, March 29. That’s all. Just plan a day out and about with friends and family or by yourself enjoying the things you like to do. And, in the process help raise awareness and generate some conversation about people with I/DD. This one-day movement will harness our collective power to gain allies, foster understanding, dispel myths and encourage people without disabilities to recognize that we’re not so different after all. Follow The Arc online at facebook.com/thearcus or twitter.com/thearcus and show us what you are doing on March 29 by sharing your photos using the hashtag #DDAware.

When you give a gift to The Arc, you are validating the efforts of the champions of our movement, who are striving with us every day for the full inclusion and independence of people with I/DD. Your gift will help us continue our work no matter how small or large the donation. Your gift is acknowledged with a card sent to the recipient or their family letting them know that a donation has been made in their honor.

Thank you for your continued support. You are a true champion of The Arc.

Special Needs Alliance and The Arc Form Strategic Partnership

The Special Needs Alliance (SNA), a national non-profit comprised of attorneys who assist individuals with special needs, their families and the professionals who serve them, has formed a strategic partnership with The Arc. The relationship is intended to facilitate collaboration at the local, state and national level on issues such as providing educational resources to families, building public awareness, and advocating for legislative and regulatory change. The Arc wants families we serve to be able to find and trust attorneys in their local communities that are experts in the unique needs of people with disabilities and their families in order to make estate planning for all income levels possible. SNA attorneys are respected authorities with regard to public benefits, guardianships and conservatorships, special needs planning and special education. The average member has nearly two decades of relevant legal experience, and many of them have family members with special needs, enabling them to bring additional insight to their work.

Apostrophe Magazine Focuses on People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

The publishers of Apostrophe magazine believe that people with disabilities face too many “apostrophes.” Too often they’re told what they can’t, won’t, or shouldn’t do. Apostrophe magazine emphasizes what they can do. Every issue features stories about people living productive lives and achieving success at home, at work and at play along with practical information people with I/DD can use on a daily basis. Apostrophe’s parent organization is Aware, Inc., the state of Montana’s largest service provider for people with I/DD and The Arc’s state chapter there, also known as The Arc of Montana in their advocacy efforts. Each issue generally includes a column from The Arc’s national office focusing on issues important to people with I/DD and their families. Visit www.apostrophemagazine.com to find out more, read the magazine’s blog and to subscribe (4 issues for only $19.99).

Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Ends March 31, 2014

Uninsured people and other interested consumers have until March 31st to enroll in a health plan sold on the marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While the roll out for the federal marketplace and some of the state run exchanges has been rocky, the pace of enrollment is increasing. If you want to learn more about how to enroll visit healthcare.gov. If you want to learn more about provisions of the law that are important to people with disabilities visit our website.

The Arc is also participating in a project to educate navigators and other assistors about the needs of people with disabilities. The ACA created the navigator role to help individuals negotiate the health insurance process.

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